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Essential Theoretical Writings Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, 1493–1541) weeks_f1_i-iv.indd i 10/22/2007 6:42:32 PM Aries Book Series Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism Editor Wouter J. Hanegraaff Editorial Board Jean-Pierre Brach Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke Advisory Board Roland Edighoffer – Antoine Faivre Olav Hammer – Andreas Kilcher Arthur McCalla – Monika Neugebauer-Wölk Marco Pasi – Mark Sedgwick – Jan Snoek Michael Stausberg – Kocku von Stuckrad György Sz,/onyi – Garry Trompf VOLUME 5 weeks_f1_i-iv.indd ii 10/22/2007 6:42:34 PM Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, 1493–1541) Essential Theoretical Writings Edited and translated with a Commentary and Introduction by Andrew Weeks LEIDEN • BOSTON 2008 weeks_f1_i-iv.indd iii 10/22/2007 6:42:34 PM The cover design is a detail from the oldest image of the city of St. Gall, a woodcut by Heinrich Vogtherr (ca. 1545) printed in the Grosse Schweizerchronik of Johann Stumpf, Zurich 1547–48, reproduced with the permission of the Vadianische Sammlung, St. Gall. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A C.I.P. record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISSN 1871-1405 ISBN 978 90 04 15756 9 Copyright 2008 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands weeks_f1_i-iv.indd iv 10/22/2007 6:42:35 PM To Dr. Horst Pfefferl (Director, Weigel Edition) and Dr. Hartmut Rudolph (Director, Leibniz Edition, Potsdam), friends and mentors in a time-honored tradition of textual scholarship PARACELSUS ESSENTIAL THEORETICAL WRITINGS Introduction:......................................................................................... 1 Background and Summary of the Translated Writings.................... 6 Das Buch Paragranum .................................................................... 8 The First Pillar, Philosophy ........................................................ 10 The Second Pillar, Astronomy.................................................... 11 The Third Pillar, Alchemy.......................................................... 13 The Fourth Pillar, Proprietas or Virtue ...................................... 13 Opus Paramirum ........................................................................... 14 On the Origin and Cause of Diseases............................................ 19 On the Matrix................................................................................. 20 On the Invisible Diseases............................................................... 21 The Significance of Ambiguity ..................................................... 24 Unique and Commonplace Elements............................................. 29 The Objectives of Translation and Commentary........................... 34 The Procedures for Editing and Translating.................................. 39 Bibliography of Works Consulted in Translating.......................... 47 I. Paragranum: German/ English....................................................... 61 Preface ...................................................................................... 62/63 The First Foundation of Medicine: Philosophia................... 106/107 The Second Foundation of Medicine: Astronomia ............... 162/163 The Third Foundation of Medicine: Alchimia ...................... 210/211 The Fourth Foundation of Medicine: Proprietas.................. 258/259 II. Opus Paramirum: German/ English ............................................ 297 Book One........................................................................... 298/299 [Caput Primum].............................................................. 300/301 Caput Secundum ............................................................. 316/317 Caput Tertium................................................................. 330/331 Caput Quartum ............................................................... 342/343 Caput Quintum................................................................ 356/357 Caput Sextum.................................................................. 370/371 Caput Septimum.............................................................. 382/383 Caput Octavum ............................................................... 396/397 viii ANDREW WEEKS Liber Secundus Caput Primum................................................................. 410/411 Caput Secundum ............................................................. 424/425 Caput Tertium................................................................. 446/447 Caput Quartum ............................................................... 456/457 Caput Quintum................................................................ 466/467 Caput Sextum.................................................................. 474/475 Caput Septimum.............................................................. 484/485 Caput Octavum ............................................................... 494/495 Conclusion to Dr. Joachim Watt........................................ 500/501 III. On the Origin and Cause of Diseases of Both Kinds (De Morborum Utriusque Professionis Origine et Causa. Liber Tertius Paramiri): German/ English Preface .................................................................................. 502/503 Tractatus Primus .................................................................. 506/507 Tractatus Secundus............................................................... 528/529 Tractatus Tertius................................................................... 544/545 Tractatus Quartus................................................................. 558/559 Tractatus Quintus................................................................. 584/585 Tractatus Sextus.................................................................... 604/605 IV. On the Matrix (Paramiri Liber Quartus de Matrice): German/ English..................................................................... 616/617 V. On the Invisible Diseases (De Causis Morborum Invisibilium): German/ English Preface .................................................................................. 720/721 Argumentum.......................................................................... 736/737 Beginning of the First Book on those Things That Befall the Human Being Because of Faith ......................................... 738/739 How Faith Makes the Body Ill........................................... 748/749 Discernment of faith .......................................................... 754/755 On Saint Valentine’s Day Disease..................................... 772/773 On the Diseases that Result in Open Wounds, St. Cyril’s Penance, St. John’s Revenge ....................................... 774/775 On the Natural Burning, Saint Anthony’s Fire.................. 776/777 On Saint Vitus’ Dance....................................................... 778/780 The Second Book. De Impressionibus Coeli Occulti [missing] TABLE OF CONTENTS ix The Third Book on the Invisible Works ............................... 794/795 Beginning of the Third Book............................................. 796/797 The Fourth Book on the Invisible Works Preface ............................................................................... 840/841 Beginning of the Fourth Book ........................................... 844/845 The Fifth Book on the Invisible Works Preface ............................................................................... 884/885 Beginning of the [Fifth] Book ........................................... 886/887 General Index ................................................................................... 939 Index of Names ................................................................................ 964 Index of Paracelsus’ Life and Work................................................. 969 Index of Citations from the Bible..................................................... 973 Introduction Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, known as Paracelsus (1493-1541), was one of the most original and prolific authors of six- teenth-century Europe. Commonly remembered as an itinerate physi- cian-surgeon, medical innovator, philosopher of nature, and alchemist, he was also a lay theologian, theorist of the supernatural, and rebel against institutions and traditions. In the course of the 1520s, he chal- lenged academic and urban authorities in Switzerland and South Ger- many by demanding medical reforms. Rebuffed by his opponents, he continued wandering for the remainder of his life, disseminating as an author, polemicist, and physician his understanding of medicine and nature. He died an obscure death in Salzburg, but before the end of the century his influence had spread, resulting in posthumous partisan controversies between advocates and detractors. Paracelsus
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